IS IT JUST ME? - Neil - March 8, 2010

I just can't get the hang of nymph fishing at all. I have been ffing for about 8 years now, and most of the times that I catch a fish on a nymph, I feel that the fish must have been severely depressed, and my hook represented the noose to them. I fish with a bobber when nymph fishing. Yep, I said a bobber...red and white plastic, just like when I was a bait-dunker, but really small. After all, a thingamabobber is no different, and I get to adjust my bobber really fast. (It's also fun when the other ffers on the water see it and double take). Last year I finally started getting the whole sub-surface thang, and caught a few who may not have been trying to commit suicide by hook. I can see the use of a bobber.

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Originally Posted by kbproctor

Have you ever tickled a trout? My Dad could do it. I never got the knack. He could spot the fish up under a cut, reach in and stroke it's belly. It kind of hypnotized the fish and he could take hold and pull it out. No fuss, no muss. Coolest fishing technique I ever saw.

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As kids We used to tickle Kokanee , You'd lie on your belly and carefully ease over the bank into the icy cold water of the creek make your way over to the gravel bar where the 1-2 lb kokanee and up to 4 lbs on occasion were. The water was about 8 to 10 inches deep there. You'd carefully ease your hand up under the largest fish around and gently bring your hand up slowly under its belly. If you touched their head or their tail they would be gone in a flash. From its belly you could actually gently lift and tip the fish over on its back and up out of the water without it struggling even a tiny bit. Then you'd let the water float you back to the bank where a buddy would take the fish as you went back for another. After one or two fish You were too cold to continue. No one showed us how to do this we just kind of evolved the method. One day while I was doing it an elderly native happened by and after observing us for a while told us His grandfather used to do that in almost the same spot as we were fishing except in those days they did it on the Salmon which used to run up the Okanagan river. He said that he had never tried it himself but that watching us had taken him way back in time.

We only took the bright silver males. The limit in those days was 25 per day but being that cold we usually only got about two apiece but they were always the big ones.

In my opinion the debate over whether or not one should or should not use a bobber/indicator only serves to perpetuate the belief by the public that fly fishermen are elitist snobs.

Neil, I really liked this article. It gets to the heart of what fly fishing, at its soul I believe, should be all about. It was meant to be a more sporting way to fish. "Sporting" is the operative word. It wasn't meant to be a better, more effective way to fish, dynamite is better, and fly fishing is certainly not an easier way to fish. I've always likened fly fishing to bow hunting, it gives the quarry a little better shot. Many of us will even go to the extent of restricting our use of certain flies that we deem to be too effective, ants, beetles, San Juan Worms, etc., just to make it more interesting. Now I think a nymph and strike indicator rig for someone new is perfectly sporting, or for someone like me, who has never gotten the hang of the strike indicator and probably never will. And I don't begrudge anyone at all using a strike indicator, it may be that under certain circumstances it's the only way at all to catch fish. This whole thing is for each and every fly fisherman to decide in their own minds. I like to make it interesting, but some just like to catch fish, and each to his own. But I really liked your take, and the subtle way you presented it.
Eric

I would like to (light heartedly) challenge anyone to give a comprehensive definition of fly fishing in 250 words or less. My guess would be that no two people could come up with the same (independent) definition. (Place happy face here!!)

Fly fishing was designed/invented/developed to present to a fish something resembling an artificial insect!
Over time the line changed to suit the circumstances from rod length to casting the line. Began with horse hair and now plastic.
Flies were tied with exotic feathers and fur, today artificial materials all designed to cast as we know it with a fly line and fly rod which in itself has changed over time.
We need not worry about whether a piece of fluff tied to the leader is fly fishing or not as the fly is the thing being cast and fished, so what if there is an aid to see the strike or not. Are we certain that something similar was never used in the "old" days?
The view that it is wrong to use a strike indicator in my opinion is leaning toward the elitist side.
Some old time fly fishers were shocked when the open arm casting style came about, they said your elbow was to stay against your side. Some said that only dry fly was the right way to catch trout.
I am a warm water fly fisher who has fished for trout but in some cases there is too much elitism involved with trout fishing.

Stand in front of the mirror, Ron.
What do you see?
Yes... it is just you.
Now get back to that tying bench.

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Originally Posted by The Chronicler

Flyguy,

Your comment did not sound argumentative. The reason that I continue to raise questions about where fly fishing is going is to cause people to think. While I agree "It is nature of all pursuits that human creativity is applied to make things easier, more comfortable, more efficient, etc. " however my question is when do these tendencies change the very nature of the practice. Is it still fly-fishing if I put a bit of bait on my hook? Is it fly-fishing if, rather than using a fly rod I use a bait casting rod?

Since it seems to me that since its inception that fly fishers have consciously have been willing to accept that fly-fishing is not the easiest way to catch fish. Even rudimentary fly-fishing requires the learning of certain skills that are totally unnecessary if you are going to fish with bait. [Casting and fly selection are just a couple] To go beyond the mere basics of fly-fishing is a long and often steep learning curve. A truly proficient practioner of the sport of fly-fishing has spent countless hours on the stream, reading books and articles on the sport, tying flies, studying the foods that fish eat, practicing different casts, and generally working on perfecting their skills. It is a life time pursuit.

What concerns me is that the upcoming generation has missed the basic premise of fly-fishing. Like so many other things in our world it seems that too many people desire to receive the benefits without doing the work.

The Chronicler

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I'm glad it didn't come off argumentative, because the reason I answered the way I did was to further stoke the fire of thought along the same line. It is, in fact, the real issue as you stated: where is the proverbial line between innovation/advancement of the sport and deterioration of the essence of the sport?

We must remember that these "up coming generations" didn't do this to themselves. It was the constant bombardment by the grown-ups who run manufacturing companies, retail houses, and the media firms slamming them with "bigger, faster, more...bigger, faster, more...bigger, faster, more" that drove them to madness. Everyone under the age of 40 has been totally exploited for profit by their elders in a brutal and crass merchandizing culture that is ruthless in the pursuit of an extra dollar. Lie, cheat, steal - all's fair if it makes money. They've been taught from the cradle that drugs and tools will solve all of their problems and make up for any of their deficiencies. Want to play basketball like Michael Jordan? Buy his shoes. Want to win gold medals in the Olympics? Just eat Wheaties. Kid doesn't want to sit still or pay attention in school? Make him swallow one of these every morning. It permeates every aspect of life including fly fishing. Those of us who have been around for more than a few years get a few chuckles about the "new and improved" product offerings every year. But most anglers younger than me honestly believe with all sincerity that a company would not come out with a new product if it wasn't better in some way than the ones they already offer. The idea that a company might change the color of a fly line from orange to green, rename it, and call it a new product with no other changes or any improvement whatsoever just so they could raise the price or generate new "buzz" is considered "conspiracy theory." In fact, I've been called a conspiracy theorist in writing by an industry media exec for writing that - in spite of the fact that it is fairly common knowledge that these sorts of things (and much worse) happen all the time.

maodiver, I am sooooo with you. Someone gave me some really tiny red and white bobbers for earrings....you guessed it, never made it to my ears. I love them, easy as heck to move.

I do use an indicator on a regular basis on stillwater for Chironomiding (just like Chan ;-))

What is the difference of using a dry dropper. Generally in most cases, the dry is way bigger than naturals and in some cases...nothing like it! It is an indicator, but with a built in hook. Comes in handy for that reason because, how many time have fish hit your little indicator?

River, high sticking is cool and in some cases, the best answer, but on some of the bigger rivers with big pools...give me INDICATOR.

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Originally Posted by kbproctor

Have you ever tickled a trout? My Dad could do it. I never got the knack. He could spot the fish up under a cut, reach in and stroke it's belly. It kind of hypnotized the fish and he could take hold and pull it out. No fuss, no muss. Coolest fishing technique I ever saw.

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My uncle can and does do that.